1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of collecting and combining various working front information generated in each manufacturing step in an FA system which controls plural steps for manufacturing products by using the network connected with each manufacturing step.
The present invention also relates to a method of collecting various working front information generated in each manufacturing step, particularly, information (abnormal information) showing an occurrence of abnormality caused in a manufacturing step, in an FA system which controls plural steps for manufacturing products.
2. Related Art Statement
First of all, there is a method performed by man power as a conventional method of collecting work front information in the FA system. That is, various information, such as production control information, working information of machining tool and the like, quality information of products and failure information, or the like are collected by the work front worker etc.
However, it is difficult for the above-described related art method performed by man power to collect a large amount of information. Further, the above-described related art method takes number of man-hours and time in collection of information and causes mistakes easily in collection and counting of information.
Therefore, recently, above described various information are collected and recorded on the information device which is called as a shared server provided on the network of the FA system and makes it to the data base. The thus collected information can be utilized from the information collecting terminal provided on the network by accessing the data base recorded on the shared server by the user.
This method is suitable to perform a routine task in which the kinds and the form etc. of the data to be used are previously defined. However, in case of adding a new business, and in case of using information in the shared server in the methods other than routine task, or the like, the structure and the content of the data base are usually complex, so that it is difficult for the user to use information freely and easily.
Moreover, not only the load to shared server but also loads to the entire FA system become large when a number of users access the data base at the same time, so that the adverse effect might be caused for the operation of the entire system.
In the manufacturing working front comprising the plural steps for manufacturing products in a manufacturing industry, various information, such as production amount of products, working information of machining tool, quality information of products and failure information or the like are generated hourly. In order to perform the improvement of the quality of products and the improvement of equipment or the like effectively, these working front information must be properly collected, analyzed and studied.
In such manufacturing working front for managing respective steps by a method of collecting such working front information, especially by an FA system, above described various information is collected and recorded on the information device which is called as a shared server provided in the network of the FA system and makes it to the data base. The thus collected information can be utilized from the information collecting terminal provided on the network by accessing the data base recorded on the shared server by the user.
However, this method is suitable to perform a routine task in which the kinds and the form or the like of the data to be used are defined previously, but it is difficult for the user to obtain desired information by the method and objects other than routine task, and thus in case of accessing data base by a number of users simultaneously, the adverse effect might be caused for the operation of the FA system.
As a method of solving such a problem, a method of data transmission to the data collecting condition setting device, in which the data (i.e., information) collection condition setting device, set by the user, and a data collecting apparatus for collecting working front information in each manufacturing step based on the data collecting condition set with this setting device are provided on the network of the FA system, and a data collecting condition set by the user is transmitted to the data collecting device.
According to this method, The user can collect and utilize the desired information promptly and easily. However, in this method, in case of collecting plural information generated in plural processes to one, the amounts of collected data become excessive and thus the processing might become difficult. Moreover, in case of collecting plural information with different time generated by viewing a time change in working front information in one step, there is a problem that it is difficult to measure a timing where information is generated.
In addition, in this method, when data amount, to which the load of the data collecting device in case of collecting the above information is increased, becomes excessive, the problem that the exchange of the data between the data collecting condition setting device and the data collecting device makes the load of the entire FA system increased, can be caused.
Various working front information generated by manufacturing step of products in manufacturing, particularly, collection of abnormal information such as the occurrence of the malfunction of the manufacturing device and abnormality of products relies on especially man power, up to now. That is, the operating situation of the device and information on the quality of products etc. were seen from the various documents regularly outputted, and the presence of abnormal occurrence was checked.
However, when relying on man power, there is a possibility that a judgment mistake may occur during the check for leakage during a step of manufacturing of the item and the subjectivity of the person performing checks. Moreover, there is a problem that processing according to man power becomes difficult when the outputted amount of information becomes excessive.
It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the above described disadvantages of the conventional FA system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of collecting FA information, in which working front information in manufacture working front can be collected and used easily and promptly.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of combining FA information capable of utilizing working front information in a manufacture working front environment, indicated as significant information by combining the collected information.
It is further object of the present invention to provide an FA information collecting method capable of collecting working front information in manufacturing step of products, especially abnormal information showing the occurrence of abnormality promptly and automatically.
According to the present invention, there is provided an FA information collecting method for use in an FA system for managing plural steps to manufacture products by using a network connected to these respective steps, characterized in that when collecting working front information sent to a data transmission line in the said network and generated in each of these steps, from an information collecting end provided to on the said network, a desired information is automatically collected based on a given condition from among the working front information.
According to the present invention, the necessary information can be collected automatically from among working front information sent on the network of the FA system and generated in each manufacturing step, based on the condition set to obtain desired information by the user
Therefore, the person, who intends collection and utilization of working front information, can collect necessary information from among the working front information by the user""s sorting out at necessary time, so that speeding-up of the collection of information and its analysis can be achieved. As a result, change and improvement of manufacturing condition which correspond to such as needs of the market, the change of the environment or the like, improvement of the business and the improvements of the quality of the productivity can be aimed at more promptly.
Moreover, according to such a method, a plurality of users, who try to collect working front information, access the data base in shared server at the same time, and, as a result, It comes to be avoided to cause the influence of the decrease in process of FA system etc.
In a preferable embodiment of the FA system according to the present invention, the working front information are sent to the data transmission line of the network at each generation of said information in respective steps.
According to such an embodiment, various working front information generated hourly in each manufacturing step are always sent on the network of the FA system, so that these working front information, especially the fault generated in the manufacturing step or the like can be known at once, and can be dealt therewith promptly.
In a preferable embodiment of the FA information collecting apparatus according to the present invention, an FA system for managing plural steps to manufacture products by using a network connected to these respective steps, working front information sent to a data transmission line in said network and generated in each of these steps are collected, characterized in that desired information is automatically collected based on the given condition from among the working front information.
According to such an embodiment, a device capable of obtaining the desired information based on the given condition from among the working front information generated in respective steps is provided in the FA system by the user, so that the collection and its analysis of the working front information by the user can be performed promptly and efficiently, and thus the improvement of the business, the quality of products, and the improvement of productivity or the like can be aimed at. Moreover, the situation that a plurality of user accesses the data base in shared server can be avoided.
In a preferable embodiment of the FA information collecting apparatus according to the present invention, the apparatus further comprises at least one data collecting condition setting means for setting the data collecting condition to collect the desired information, and at least one data collection managing means for collecting the desired information based on the data collecting condition set by the data collecting condition setting means.
According to such an embodiment, means for setting and inputting (instructing) the condition to obtain desired information set by the user and means for collecting working front information are separated with each other, so that the load of the information collection device in the information collecting work can be distributed. Moreover, with such a constitution, information collection can be performed from one data collecting condition setting means to the plural data collection managing means, or the information can be sent from one data collection managing means to plural data collecting condition setting means oppositely, and thus the working front information can be collected efficiently.
In a preferable embodiment of the FA system according to the present invention, there is provided an FA system for managing plural steps to manufacture products by using a network connected to these respective steps, comprising at least one data collecting condition setting device for setting the condition to collect desired information, among working front information generated in each of respective steps and sent to data transmission line in the network, and at least one data collection managing device for collecting desired information from among the working front information based on the condition set by the data collecting condition setting device.
According to such an embodiment, there is provided the device capable of obtaining various working front information generated hourly by each manufacturing step promptly and directly can be provided in the FA system by sorting out the desired information by the user himself, that is, the person who intends collection and utilization of the information. Therefore, collection of information which requires urgent dealing, such as collection and analysis of working front information, particularly, generation of the trouble or the like can be performed, as a result, the collection and its analysis of the working front information by the user can be performed promptly and efficiently, and thus the improvement of the business, the quality of products, and the improvement of productivity or the like can be aimed at. Moreover, the situation that a plurality of user accesses the data base in shared server can be avoided.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method of combining FA information for use in an FA system for managing plural steps to manufacture products by using a network connected to these respective steps, characterized in that when collecting working front information sent to a data transmission line in the said network and generated in each of these steps, from an information collecting end provided to on the said network, desired information are automatically combining based on the given condition from among collected plural working front information.
According to such an embodiment, the user combines desired and collected information according to the given condition from among working front information generated in each manufacturing step, and sent on the network of the FA system, thereby obtaining significant information.
Therefore, the person intending the collection and utilization of working front information, can collect information necessary from among the working front information, particularly and becoming usually increase of data amount, such as plural working front information etc. generated in plural steps. As a result, change and improvement of manufacturing condition which correspond to such as needs of the market, the change of the environment or the like, improvement of the business and the improvements of the quality of the productivity can be aimed at more promptly. Moreover, the increase of the load of the FA system caused by treating a large amount of data can be avoided.
In a preferable embodiment of the FA information combining method according to the present invention, a plurality of working front information with different generation time are combined.
According to such an embodiment, time changes in plural information with different generation time that data amount becomes excessive in general, for example, in working front information generated in one step, can effectively known.
According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for combining FA information for use in an FA system for managing a plurality of steps to manufacture products by using a network connected to these respective steps, in which working front information sent to a data transmission line in said network and generated in each of these steps are collected, characterized in that the apparatus comprises at least one data collecting condition setting means for setting the data collecting condition to collect the desired information, at least one data collection managing means for collecting the desire based on the data collecting condition set by the data collecting condition setting means, and at least one data combining means for combining the desired information collected by the data collection managing means based on the data collecting condition and for transmitting said combined information to the data collecting condition setting means.
According to such an embodiment, the data coupling device to which information on the desire of the user collected with the data collection managing device is coupled based on the data collecting condition. The data collecting condition is set based on the provision between the data collection managing devices that collect information on the aforementioned desire, based on the data collecting condition setting device that sets the data collecting condition for the user who intended collection of working front information to collect desired information and the data data collecting condition, wherein the information representing that data amount becomes excessive. For example, but not by way of limitation, a time change in information necessitated by the user, especially information corresponding to plural steps and in working front information in one step, can be collected efficiently. Moreover, the increased load of the FA system caused by treating a large amount of data can be avoided.
According to the present invention, there is provided an FA system for managing plural steps manufacturing products by using a network connected to these respective steps, comprising at least one data collecting condition setting device for setting the condition to collect desired information, among working front information generated in each of respective steps and sent to data transmission line in the network, at least one data collection managing device for collecting desired information from among the working front information based on the condition set by the data collecting condition setting device, and at least one data combining means for combining the desired information collected by the data collection managing means based on the data collecting condition and transmitting said combined information to the data collecting condition setting means.
According to the present invention, there is provided in the FA system the data coupling device to which information on the desire collected with the data collection managing device is coupled, based on the data collecting condition by the provision between the data collection managing devices which collect information on the desire based on the data collecting condition setting device, which sets a data collecting condition for the user who intended collection of working front information to collect desired information and data collecting condition, the information that data amount becomes excessive. For example, but not by way of limitation, a time change in information necessary by the user, especially information corresponding to plural steps and in working front information in one step, can be collected efficiently. Moreover, the increase of the load of the FA system caused by treating a large amount of data can be avoided.
According to the present invention, there is provided an FA information collecting method for use in an FA system for managing plural steps to manufacture products by using a network connected to these respective steps, characterized in that when collecting working front information sent to a data transmission line in the said network and generated in each of these steps, from an information collecting end provided to on the said network, a time change in desired information is automatically collected based on a given condition from among the working front information.
According to such an embodiment, time changes in working front information generated by the manufacturing step can be collected easily and surely. Therefore, abnormal information such as the occurrence of the malfunction of the manufacturing device and abnormality of the products at once can be known, promptly dealing with this information becomes possible. Moreover, the presence of an abnormal occurrence is automatically checked without depending on man-power, so that the load and number of man-hours of the worker etc. can be reduced.
In a preferable embodiment of the FA information collecting method according to the present invention, the desired information are compared with the previously set limit value of management, and it judges that abnormality occurs in a step, when abnormal value is detected.
According to such an embodiment, it is judged that abnormality occurred when working front information are exceeded or fall below the limit value of management previously set, so that the occurrence of abnormality can be known at once, and can be dealt with this at the early stage.
In a preferable embodiment of the FA information collecting method according to the present invention, the desired information are collected over a period which went back from the point at which the abnormal value is detected only at past predetermined time.
According to such an embodiment, a passage from an point to an abnormal occurrence at the past can be known, so that Performing elucidation and the correspondence of the cause of an abnormal occurrence can be performed at the early stage.
In a preferable embodiment of the FA information collecting method according to the present invention, a signal representing the occurrence of the abnormality is sent to the data transmission line in the network at the same time as the occurrence thereof.
According to such an embodiment, the information are sent to the network of the FA system which has jurisdiction over the manufacturing step at the same time as abnormality""s occurring, so that the occurrence of abnormality can be instantaneously known. Therefore, prompt correspondence to abnormality becomes possible.
In a preferable embodiment of the FA information collecting method according to the present invention, the abnormal value is judged to be an occurrence of abnormality in the step by having detected a fixed frequency in the given period.
According to such an embodiment, scattering etc. of the quality of product generated in the given period are detected, so that the occurrence of abnormality can be found at the forecast or the early stage, and thus prompt correspondence to this becomes possible.
In a preferable embodiment of the FA information collecting method according to the present invention, there is an tendency that a time change in the desire information in the given period is adjacent to the limit value of management, and the abnormal value is judged to be an occurrence of abnormality in the step when a time change exceeds the said limit value.
According to such an embodiment, the tendency, which changes the quality of product and the operating situation of the manufacturing device from normal to abnormal, can be grasped, and thus the possibility that abnormality occurs afterwards can be forecast. Therefore, the occurrence of abnormality can be known, beforehand, and thus the prompt dealing with this becomes possible.